Since acquiring equity at the Caserones Copper Mine in Chile in 2006, we have taken a central role in its development, with copper concentrate production beginning in May 2014. We have further invested in some of the world’s largest copper mines, including Los Pelambres and Escondida, also in Chile. The amount of copper produced (total equity base) reached about 190,000 tons in fiscal 2021.
JX Nippon Mining & Metals Corporation
Executive Officer, General Manager Mineral Resources Division, Senior Executive Staff, Metals & Recycling Division, Senior Executive Staff, Technology Group
Masaki Nobuharu
At the Caserones Copper Mine, we maintained an optimal operation with consideration given to controlling COVID-19 and water usage restrictions. In addition, we have worked to make improvements for even more stable and efficient operations with introducing automatic control through cross-functional activities by the promotion team. Not only that, but we worked to make our equipment maintenance and materials procurement more efficient. Although production declined due to the impact of a strike in August during mining union labor negotiations, we successfully earned higher year-on-year profits in fiscal 2021, mainly due to higher copper prices.
On the other hand, due to a decrease in precipitation, the Los Pelambres Copper mine operated under water usage restriction in the second half of the year, resulting in lower production year on year.
As for new mine development projects, in the interest of securing stable raw materials for downstream businesses, we established a cross-divisional project team to evaluate and study specific projects, focusing on tantalum and titanium.
JX Nippon Mining & Metals Corporation
Executive Officer, General Manager Mineral Resources Division, Senior Executive Staff, Metals & Recycling Division, Senior Executive Staff, Technology Group
Masaki Nobuharu
At the Caserones Copper Mine, while continuing with controls for COVID-19, we will further strengthen our profitability through improvement of operation and maintenance that could increase operation level and promote cost improvements.
Regarding the Los Pelambres Copper Mine, we will focus on the completion of the expansion plan started in fiscal 2019. Also, with a prospect of starting businesses, we will move forward with the investigation and survey of various minerals around the world including minor metals and silicified ore in order to achieve stable supply of raw materials based on future needs in our midstream and downstream businesses.
Currently, the JX Nippon Mining & Metals Group operates the Kasuga and Iwado Mines in Makurazaki City, Kagoshima Prefecture, where it mines and supplies gold-bearing silicified ore to the Saganoseki Smelter & Refinery. Silicified ore is an auxiliary raw material which is added during the copper smelting process. Gold-bearing silicified ore contributes not only to the stable operation of copper smelters but also to maintaining profitability in our Base Businesses. The Mineral Resources Division has been promoting exploration activities since fiscal 2018 in the areas surrounding the Kasuga and Iwado mines in order to develop new gold-bearing silicified ore mines. In fiscal 2021, we conducted detailed geological, geochemical and geophysical surveys to determine ore volume and gold content in the prospective mining areas identified in the previous surveys, and to as well as the distribution of surface gold grades.
Geophysical exploration in progress
